This Simple Italian Tomato Pasta Sauce is packed with 6 vegetables. It's a great standby and can be used on its own or added to a casserole. I also use this as the sauce in my vegetable lasagna. I find it handy to always keep some in my freezer and if I ever think my kids haven't eaten enough veg, I serve them this. Freeze it in individual portions in empty jam jars. When my kids were little, I used to puree this sauce to hide the bits. I recommend doubling the quantities and making a batch. You can cook this sauce in advance and just re-heat it when you're ready. If you're in a real hurry, serve it with fresh pasta which only takes a few minutes to cook.
Sustainability
All of the vegetables in this tomato pasta sauce can be bought organic and you'll find everything in season in the summer in the UK. Try to buy the vegetables loose to minimise single-use plastic. If you need to buy in packets, don't let any extra go to waste, just add them in. As it's a sauce, it may change the balance of flavours slightly, but will still taste good.
Storage
This Basic Tomato Pasta Sauce will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. It freezes well and will keep for 3 - 4 months. After that time it will still be safe to eat, but over time the quality and texture may change. I freeze this in individual portions in re-used glass jam jars. It can easily be defrosted in the microwave in the glass jar.
Any leftover cooked pasta can also be frozen. Leave the pasta to cool then stir through a little olive oil so it doesn't all stick together. Place the pasta in an airtight container or freezer bag and store for up to 2 months. To re-heat, just place in a pan of boiling water for 2 minutes. For more freezer tips, click here
Simple Italian Tomato Pasta Sauce with 6 Vegetables
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil organic, fairtrade
- 1 red onion organic, peeled and diced
- 1 red pepper organic, de-seeded and diced
- 1 courgette organic, diced
- 1 aubergines organic, cubed
- 500 g passata organic
- 1 dash salt
- 1 dash black pepper fairtrade
- 150 g spinach organic
- 40 g Parmesan cheese organic, grated, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Put pasta on to cook as per packet instructions. Add the olive oil to a large pan and gently fry the onion until soft.
- Add the peppers, courgette and aubergine and fry for 5 minutes.
- Add the passata to the vegetables, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach and simmer for 1 minutes. Blitz some or all of the sauce together if required. This is a great way to 'hide' the vegetables if you need to, but also gives it a lovely flavour.
- Serve with pasta and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
I’ve been looking for a pasta sauce & this one was great. Love the fact that it has 6 veg in it.